Dust flow indicator for suction cleaning devices



April 17,1945. REPLQGLE 2,373,916

DUST FLOW INDICATOR FOR SUCTION CLEANING DEVICES Original Filed April 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 22 25 5 v v QtWQ/MM D. B. EE LOGLE April 17, 1945. D. B. REPLOGLE 2,373,916

DUST FLOW INDICATOR FOR SUCTION CLEANING DEVICES Original Filed April 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Zinnentor D. B. EEPL OGLEL Ww w. XML,

Cittorneg Patented Apr-.17., 1945 nusr'rcow iNnroA'ronFon sparrow 1 CLEANING Demons:-

Daniel Benson Replogle,- "deceased, late of Berkeley,'0alif.', by Bank of America National Trust & Savings Associat'r0n,, San Francisco,.

C'aIiL, Carl S. Replogle; Piedmont, Harold E. Queen, .Berkeley, and Laurie H. tBullock, Berkeley, Calif; executors, assignors. to. The

. Ohio Citizens Trust: Company, 11012610,.Qhi1); a

corporation of Ohio, as trustee Original application April 9, 1941, Serial No;

387,717. Divided and this application Novemberl'fi, 1943; Serial No. 510 ,811

'' a o' laims. (01.30.2-655 Theinvention relates to cleaning devices for airplanes and like moving vehicles wherein the partial vacuum created at certain portions of the vehicle while in motion is utilized for the opera-' tion of suction cleaning appliances or any suit'- able description. I v

On account of the great increasein' air travel. particularly betweenthe tropics and northern climates, there is now an urgentneed on the part of the passenger for appliancesv which may be used for clearing; theirbaggage, clothing, etc.of any dust, pestifercus-insects orlarva which may haveaccumulated and these same cleaning appliances maybe used if desired. for clearing table debris and litter of every kind, I I, Furthermore, in the compressed air passenger v compartments of airplanes, periodical change of air is necessary andthev cleaning appliancesof the present invention may also be employed to .20. The present application is a-division of my application Serial No. 387,7l7,file'd April 9, 1941, .and the claims of the present applicationaredirected particularly to the combined valve and assist in ventilating such compartments;

dust indicator which is included in the system. 1

The invention will be. more readily understood tion of thefuselageof an airplane ofany' suitable paratusis connectedto arear compartment of the.

p at n r I Fig. 8{ isan-enlarged detail showing a valv for closing the suctionconnection when the cleaning appliance'is not in use.

- Referring to the drawings and with particular reference toFig. l-,'; the numeral 11! denotes a p0 type; When the plane is in motion being driven by means of its propellers, the forward motionof & the'ship. tends to produce a condition of increased pressure at the forward portion'of' the ship and a' conditioniof reduced pressure toward the. rear end thereof; This reduced pressure orpartial vacuum isutilized according to my invention to operate suction cleaning appliancesfno separate a source-of power beihgrequired for the operation I of such devices.

. tained in any suitable manner as. by providing,

. ventilating means at the forward or pressure porby referenceto the accompanying drawings and. Y the following detailed description-which are intended a illustrative only and not as limiting the invention to the particular tionset forth therein. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view somewhat dia rammatic mj character, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing aportion of an airplane equipped with a cleaning appliance in accordance with the present invention- 1 t g i Fig; 2' is a view on an enlarged scale partly in end elevation-and partly in'section, showing a dust indicator employed in the system; the dustdeflector being directly in front of the air inlet;

details of construc The reference character H denote a passenger compartment which is generally filled with air under pressure somewhat greater than thenormal atmospheric pressure. such pressure being; main.-

tion ofthe plane. Such means do not constitute any portion ofthepresent invention and are. not

specifically; disclosed herein. since'theyare well known in the art. i

t l2 there. is indicated a wall or partition separating the passenger compartment H from the rear portion of the plane. Extending, rearwardly from. the-partition. l7. toward the tail of the plane. isa passage [3 which extends tothe tail portion of the plane at which a. partial vacuumis created when the plane is; in motion. This passageway may extend indefinitely through a hollow brace to the tail of the fuselage, that is,

' the same'tubethat carries the suction maybe a hollow brace, being a component part of thefuselage of the plane.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view'of the same showing the deflector shiftedslightly to cause whirling of dust about the indicator.

Fig. 4 is an axial section. through the indicator.

and showing its attachment to a partition wall. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of an. airplane showing a modification in which, a suction connection is located at the side thereof. 7 6 is an'enlarged detail sectional View of the same showing cleaning appliances attached to the suction connection, f i Fig. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing a further modification wherein the cleaning ap- Connected to the forward. end of the suction passage i3thro-ugh a dust indicator or the like A is a flexible hose 15 connected to a wand-like suction nozzle or floor tooli'l at the end thereof I The hose pipe 15 ispreferably long enough so that the nozzle ll will reach any portion of the compartmentll'which it is desired to clean. A suitable extension device maybe employed if desired and thenozzle or floor tool l1 may be substituted by any other form of nozzle as, is well, known in the cleaner art. The upper curved portion of Wand ltrnay function as a handlefor suction'pipe. 16 which may be of. hard fiber or any suitable materialand which is provided with a to hold the same in place.

moving the appliance over the floor or other surface to be cleaned.

The indicator-A serves the dual purpose of dis closing the quantity of dust being drawn through the system and of providing a valve for opening or closing communication between the passenger compartment and the rear of the plane. Thus, this valve serves also as a ventilating means. As shown the indicator includes a cylindrical casing 20 suitably secured to the partition I2 as indicated in Figs, 1 and 4 and is-provided with an opening 2| communicating through an opening in the partition 12 with the suction passage 13. The casing is also provided with an inlet opening 22 communicating with a short pipe 23 over which the end of hose I is adapted to be fitted.

Revolvably fitted within the casing 20 is an' inner cylindrical valve member 24 having a dome shaped transparent top 25 which may be formed of glass, Celluloid, or transparent plastic material such as vinyl resin or the like. The rotatable valve is provided with a flange 26 which is turned over a flange on the top member 25 and serves This flange also provides a finger grip for rotating the valve. The valve member is provided with an opening 21 which may be brought into registry with the opening 22 or may be rotated to shut off communication between the front and rear portions of the partition [2.

Extending upwardly part-way across the opening 2'! is a deflector 28 preferably formed integral with the valve member 24 which may be brought directly into the path of the dust laden air entering through the inlet passage 23 ormay be moved slightly to one direction or the other so as to cause whirling of the dust either in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction depending on the direction of rotation, as set forth in my application Serial No. 381,200, filed February 28, 1941, entitled Dust flow indicator forv suction cleaning devices, now Patent No. 2,269,483, dated January 13, 1942. A suitable screen 29 may be placed across the opening 2| leading to the pipe l3 if desired.

Instead of having the passage l3 extend to the tail of the plane as indicated in Fig. 1, a valve 30 may be provided at one side of the fuselage at a point where partial vacuum exists. A fitting 3! may be provided communicating with this valve as indicated in Fig. '7 and a flexible hose 32 may be attached at one end to such fitting and at its other end attached to a pipe 33 comprising 'a tubular handle which communicates with the outlet of an indicator A. A wandlike suction pipe 34 is connected to the inlet pipe of the indicator-and may be provided with any suitable suction tool not shown. The hose is suificiently long to permit movement of the appliances to any part of the interior of the plane. The construction of the indicator A may be similar to that shown at A in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, or may be of the type disclosed in my above mentioned patent. The general function of both indicators is the same. The curved pipe 33 may be used to move the cleaning device back and forth across the surface to be cleaned.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 a fluid-tight partition 35 is provided at the rear separating the suction compartment 36 from the forward portion 50 of the plane. The compartment 36 may be opened to atmosphere and the partition 35 is provided with a flap valve 31 covering an opening 38. A nipple 39 at one end oi the cylindrical casing 40 is inserted in the opening 38 when the valve 3! is raised and this casing is provided with a suitable transparent top 4|. If desired the top 4| may be formed as a valve as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

'Where filtering is desired a suitable screen 42 similar to the screen 29 may be employed. A flexible pipe i3 is connected to the transparent top 4| and is connected at its other end to a wand such. as is shown at 34 in Fig. 6 or a tubular member l6 such as is shown in Fig. 1, either of which may be equipped'with any suitable floor cleaning tool. Where the suction pipe discharges directly to the outside of the plane the filter or screen may be omitted if desired. However, such filter performs the usual function of preventing loss of valuable articles which may be drawn into the nozzle of the suction cleaner by mistake and would otherwise be discharged to the atmosphere.

Theoperation of the ,various forms of cleaning apparatus herein set forth will be apparent from the foregoing description. As the plane is traveling forward by rotation of its propellers a partial vacuum is created toward the rear portion thereof and any suction pipe connected to a location where reduced pressure exists may be used in the operation of various forms of cleaning apparatus. The indicator A or A serves to inform the operator of the quantity of dust which is being drawn into the apparatus. It may be noted that dust passing through a transparent passage is not readily observable when traveling at the rate usual in the operation of suction cleaners, and an enlarged chamber such as is provided by the indicator A and A has the effect of slowing the motion even in the neutral position of the deflector (Fig. 2) and therefore rendering the dust visible, but such dust is rendered more Visible by eddying and causing it to retravel many times in the same path as is the case where the deflector is angularly removed from the direct path as indicated in Fig. 3.

If desired a suitable barometer B (Fig. 1) may be employed to show fluctuations in difference between the inside and outside atmospheric pressures, since the cleaning apparatus is only operable when aconsiderable degree of difference exists;

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration but it will be apparent that variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

We claim:

1. In an air-method cleaning system, including a series of'tubular elements connecting zones of different pressures, a dust indicator interposed between a pair of successive tubular elements comprising a coupling element having inlet and outlet pipes, a rotatable member having a transparent window, and deflecting means carried by said rotatable member and adapted to be positioned adjacent said inlet opening for the purpose of directing air and dust onto the window. said deflector being movable to various angular positions with reference to the inlet opening for the purpose of causing whirling movement in either direction within the indicator.

2. In a'suction cleaning system, a dust indicator comprising a cylindrical chamber having an inlet for dust laden air in the cylindrical wall of the chamber and an outlet opening at the bottom thereof, a transparent window located opposite the outlet opening, deflecting means located adjacent the inlet opening adapted to direct air and dust onto the window, and means for angularly adjusting said deflecting means to cause whirling movement of the air about the axis of the cylindrical chamber, said adjusting means including a rotatable cylindrical valve member fitting Within the cylindrical wall of said chamber, said Window serving as a cover for said valve member, and said deflecting means bein carried thereby.

3. In a suction cleaning system, a dust indicator comprising a cylindrical chamber having an inlet for dust laden air in the cylindrical wall of the chamber, and an outlet opening at the bottom thereof, a transparent window closing the top of the chamber, means located adjacent the inlet opening for deflecting the incoming dust and at toward said window prior to passing through the outlet, said means being adjustable to cause a whirling movement-in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and a rotatable cylindrical valve member fitting within the cylindrical wall of said chamber, saidtransparent window constituting the cover for said rotatable cylindrical member, and said deflector being carried thereby.

BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRUST 8a SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, By T. F. REYNOLDS,

Asst. Trust Ofiicer, CARL S. REPLOGLE,

HAROLD E. QUEEN, LAURIE H. BULLOCK, e Executm's, o the Estate of Daniel Benson Replogle, Deceased. 

